Syracuse, N.Y. -- The area of Upstate New York in a drought began shrinking this week, even with little rainfall in some areas, according to today's weekly report of the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The total area of moderate drought, mainly in the Adirondacks and along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Western New York, fell from 20 percent of New York last week to 15 percent this week.

That happened despite a wide difference in rainfall in the two drought areas. Most of the Adirondacks got about a half inch of rain in the past week, according to the New York State Mesonet, an automated network of 126 stations. Two inches or more fell in the Niagara County area, although the drought persisted there.

Drought status is based less on rainfall than on the condition of crops and on levels of streams and groundwater.

The drought is likely to end in September, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

The region of New York considered abnormally dry, the stage just before moderate drought, fell from 18 to 11 percent this week.